Notes / Commercial Description:
Our light-coloured, spicy single-bock, “Vitus” is saturated with fine yeast and a creamy foam. It is a specialty with a round character based on the extra long storage time. The fruity smell of dried apricots joins aromas of citrus, cloves and hints of banana. Full-bodied and sparkling with an effervescent mouthfeel. Thus, the Vitus does not taste like a typical Bock beer but more like a noble, fruity wheat beer. Perfect with red meat, strong cheese and also able to guide desserts. Brewed according to our centuries-old brewing tradition on the Weihenstephan hill.

Reviews by mjn5036:

Poured from a bottle into my Weihenstephaner weizen glass. This one pours a hazy yellow with tangerine highlights. A large head, still much more subdued than that of the regular hefe, grows from the pour and quickly fades away leaving no lacing to be found.

The smell is nearly identical to the Weihenstephaner hefe I just had before this - banana, clove, orange peel. This one seems to have a breadier nose however. Still fantastic.

Taste is in your face banana and I am in love with it. This just seems like an amped up version of the hefeweizen. Clove, much more banana, more spice and more alcohol make up its profile. I am not picking up on any dark fruits as I was expecting but a great beer nonetheless.

Medium bodied, prickly carbonation and nearly undetectable alcohol come together for a dangerously drinkable beer. This is such an amazing beer, especially for the price point. If only the weather was a bit* warmer out I think I'd be enjoying this even more.

More User Reviews:

4.4/5 rDev +3.3%

Pours a lovely light straw. The color white if wine only hay and with fat head of white foam that falkls slowly enough. The nose is sutlry fruit. The stuff your grandmother is putting in a pie. Apple skin, baked pear, light banana, clove, honey, spice a bit of cinnamon. Oh my stars. The taste is luscious Ripe and succulent fruit.l The apple skin crisp and light, the pear baked and sweet together with the clove. The honey malt The tall and crisp whet malt. That stands in the glass like a strange sentinel. Golden glowing flaky like flakes in the cereal bowl but sweet and soft too. OH! The banana light ans smooth. The mouthfeel is fruity, crisp, creamy . well carbonated and this finishes dry and with so much fruit you cannot stand to believe it’s not under a pie crust.

Hazed yellow straw color; a massive white head towers over the beer. It's one of those epic heads. Pleasant aroma of green plantains, ripe pears, bread crust and powdered clove. A little chewy and slick in the medium body; crispness digs in deep. Spicy from the alcohol and mild phenols, nutty and bready from the malt, fruity with banana and pear flavors ... lots of flavors thrown at the palate at once, but within the controlled chaos, everything works together. Long, lingering, drying finish of clove, biscuity malt and fading ripe fruit.

A worthy beer and warranted to gain cult status. Not one flavor tries to steamroll another, which makes it dangerously drinkable. Just fine on its own, but begs to be paired with a full-on cheese fondue of Emmental and Jarlsberg, and a crusty baguette.

S: Banana, light dried fruit, a trace of smoke, very faint clove and some light bread.

T: Starts with rich moist sweet bread with dried pitted fruit then a wave of banana rides through with a faint dose of clove. It is a little sweet with a hint of brown sugar and almost no hop presence.

F: Very creamy medium to just above on the body and medium to medium high carbonation.

I picked this one up, because I wanted to try some great German beers that were out of my standard flavor palate like the IPAs that I am familiar with. This one came in a pint with a really nice looking front and neck label. It boasts a 7.7% ABV and is brewed under purity laws of 1516. This ancient beer definitely has a historical element that increases the experience. I was pleasantly surprised.

Look-Pours a cloudy light golden yellow and a thick head that soon settles into a fine lacing. The head leaves
a silky foam on the glass that is very nice.

Smell-I smell banana bread and associated phenols as well as a spicy bread pudding and vanilla undertones mixed with pear. The taste is similar so I’ll stop here.

Taste-It is spicy clove and banana which is very reminiscent of the Trippel by New Belgium that I have reviewed. Look for that review in order to get a better idea of this one. However, this variety is more of a creamy and cloudy version of the Trippel. This German Weizenbock is perfectly sweetened, well-balanced, not hoppy at all, and the alcohol is subtle. This beer really drinks like a 4.5% brew even though it is 7.7% so be careful and especially because it comes in a pint.

Mouthfeel-It has a creamy and buttery feel that is so rare and enjoyable. The carbonation is miniature in the sense that the bubbles are sub-microscopic leaving a pleasant effervescent tickle on the tongue. The aftertaste is like a sticky coating that is resulting from the phenols and organic compounds in the beer.

Overall-This beer was very surprising, because I expected a typical German brew with monotonic flat bread and yeast with a malt-forward experience. Instead I got a complex and creamy brew with such a dangerously refreshing experience that it is no wonder I haven’t tried it before. Do not underestimate this Weizenboch!

Poured from a 0.5 L bottle into a wheat beer glass. Bottled on code of 8315.

Look -- Pours a hazy pale gold with two fingers of creamy white head that settles fairly quickly but that isn't surprising given the ABV of this beer. Despite the head settling fairly quickly it leaves decent lacing on the glass.

Smell -- Banana, clove, yeast, wheat, with hints of bubblegum and lemon. It's classic hefeweizen on the nose and none of the ABV is coming through for me.

Taste -- Like the nose with some pleasing tartness. The ABV isn't making itself known here, it certainly doesn't taste like a boozy hefeweizen.

Feel -- Moderate-low carbonation and a hefty body give it a nice thick and luxurious mouthfeel that doesn't coat the mouth. It's very nice and a bit drier on the finish than you might expect from a regular hefeweizen but that's not surprising given the higher ABV of a weizenbock compared to your usual hefeweizen.

Overall -- If you ever had a Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier and wished it packed more of a punch this beer is for you. It's extremely close to their hefeweissbier except for that ABV and the consequences of that ABV (for instance, the drier finish). Overall it hides the alcohol very well and it's dangerously drinkable, I could get in trouble with this beer.

Appearance - This came out looking like a BSPA. The head is full and lively and pure as the driven snow. It showed great retention but wasn't clingy. The body was just a gorgeous orange-yellow, cloudy of course, with a rich sheen. It was much lighter than I expected but beautiful nevertheless.

Smell - The humble but pervasive banana leads things off here with a nice sweetness that isn't rushed but certainly not subtle. The yeast is cloying and shows that great refinement that all Weihenstephaner lovers know. I get maybe a touch of clove but nothing big and really none of the expected bock aromas. But I'm offering no complaints here as this is an amazing bouquet.

Taste - Well Weihenstephaner is known for their yeast strains above all else and man o man is this a terrific yeast flavor. First off this brewer produces the finest tasting yeast on the planet. Here you have that flavor from their weizen line but times two. It is so pure and so explosive like the raw flavor of yeast but refined, smoothed out, and topped off with a dash of sweetness.

The banana is right on track as well. It again is more like their hefe weizen. It's not overly ripe or crazy sugared like a brown banana but more like a green banana without that earthy flavor. The sweets actually are nothing but banana and I really don't find anything else in there which for me is a job well done.

Mouthfeel - This is medium-bodied with some amazingly light and teasing carbonation that livens up the experience. How they managed to keep the light carbs from their weizen line in this bigger beer is beyond me.

Drinkability - I couldn't keep the smile off my face as I drained this glass. It was more like an uber-hefe than a weizenbock IMO as I got none of the traditional bock characteristics. Since their hefe is one of my all time favorites though and this was that just more of the same I have to give this a gigantic thumbs up.

A- This beer pours with a super impressive 3-4 finger thick head, that is super soapy and the retention is among the best that I've ever seen....its super white, and super frothy! The beer itself is very yeast hazed yellow/golden in color....I can see the nutrients! Lacing is excellent as well....super thick clumps of protein laced foam cling to the glass!

T- Banana essence, tons of yeast, bready biscuit flavors and hints of various citrus pulps are the most noted flavors. Mild caramel malt sweetness and spices follow the aromas....this time with all of the aforementioned spices plus coriander blended into the mix! Leafy hop presence on the finish......very typical of the style and hints of booze are noticed but really add to the flavor!

M/O- I can feel the vitamins of the Vitus permeating into my bloodstream....thick body, super smooth carbonation and buttery yeasty texture provide for an all around lovely drink....almost champagne like! I think this is great with a Landjager sausage followed by a lemon raspberry cake for dessert! Highly drinkable but I think the alcohol, while well hidden, would catch up with me very quickly....another well put together beer from this highly respected brewery!

Poured from 22 oz bottle. Look is hazy, light golden, with huge head of white puff. Carbonation remains, but not very visible with the hazy body. Head clings and bubbles move slowly, but surely, leaving a clean glass and no residual lacing. Smell is all bubble gum and spice. Very strong, sweet, with cloves and coriander. The taste was better than expected. I knew it was world class, but after the smell, I was expecting something like a bubble gum-banana-yeast... which isn't usually my favorite. This one balanced, with more spice and dark fruit in the taste, and the sweeter notes mostly just a reminder in the smell as I tipped my glass. Very refreshing, Minimal alcohol taste, slightly drying. Might not be overpowering or have the giant conflict of flavors compared to some of the 'new brews ', but this is a classic, and has stayed affordable and accessible. Just a Nice, Clean, Pure taste, and now I'm going to finish off the rest of the bomber.

The beer pours a nice white and foamy head that takes a long while to dissipate. The beer itself is a nice looking clear gold. The exact hue of the gold is between medium and pale; it actually looks a bit closer to pale but it's too dark to actually be pale.

The smell is very nice and pretty appealing. It strongly resembles a hefeweizen but is a bit too hoppy and fruity. The smell definitely has a nice and present banana note from the yeast when compared to the apricot smell. There is a bit of bitter floral hoppiness that certainly helps emphasize the apricot notes.

The taste is exactly the same as the smell but with stronger wheat notes and weaker banana. The apricot note is still there though.

The feel is pretty good. Medium bodied but with a nice light carbonation that makes very smooth.

Overall, a very good beer and worth getting. This definitely a nice beer that isn't too challenging to the palate but complex enough for the more experienced beer user.

Absolutely one of the best wheat beers I have had in quite some time and the most well-crafted weizenbock Ive ever tried (second only to Aventinus, perhaps, but thats. Sure, lots of American breweries are taking a stab at the weizenbock and weizen dopplebock styles, but while they tend to be rich and flavorful, theyre often a bit rough. Vitus, however, gets it right: bright, clean flavors with more sweet malt character without anything being cloying. Just superb, really.

If you take Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier and turn it up to eleven, you get Vitus. It pours to the requisite large, creamy white head on a hazy, straw-colored body; lacing is fair, mostly bands with some blotches. The aroma is big for a wheat beer: ripe bananas, cloves, wheat and alcohol, with hints of caramel and citrus rind for good measure. The palate follows the nose, plus a nice yeast presence; the alcohol is very well-hidden. The yeast, esters, and wheat are in perfect balance, just like they are in the Hefe Weissbier. The finish is pretty clean, showing just a hint of caramel and wheat; the linger is a subtle wheaty/estery flavor that stays around for a couple of minutes. The mouthfeel is quite big for the light body, and the texture is medium-creamy and moderately peppery from the well-expressed carbonation. Great wheat beer from a top-notch brewery! (11.2 oz bottle, 350 days after pkg)

Pours a glowing hazy yellow. The medium thick head is white and foamy, leaving behind no lasting lace. Banana, clove, and citrus fruit notes combine to deliver a tasty aroma. The taste is sublime, with hints of banana, clove, citrus, and a little spicy yeast to round it out. While it feels pleasant and sweet to drink, the spicy yeast keeps the balance from going overly sweet. Mouth feel is full bodied and bold. It does feel mouth coating (in a good way). Overall, this is an exceptional beer. Nothing too fancy about it. Just straight forward great with a few extra flavors as a bonus.

Pours a deep creamy golden yellow with a large - rather, extra large head that leaves tons of lacing.

Smell is of clove, nutmeg, slight fruity banana, and some apple. Hints of sweet bread.

Taste is of strong banana, dark, caramel sweet wheat bread, sugar, clove, nutmeg, coriander, hint of noble hops. Just incredible. Dry finish, with spicy alcohol complementing the dark plum and grape notes. Also some pear, apple, and more banana in the finish.

The flavor of this beer is deeper than the Hubble deep field. The wheat is so thick, with an incredible depth of flavor. This is the beer. The beer. If I had to have one more beer in my life, it would be this one.

This was poured into a weizen glass.
The appearance was a golden light colored yellow. A thick about three fingers worth of foamy white head started and slid into the beer after dissipation with some fairly thick lacing roaming here and there.
The smell had some banana esters running into some bready/yeasty notes. Apricots and raisins meld into the aroma.
The taste was full and sweet from the previously mentioned flavors allowing some clove to round in the spicy department. An eloquent sweet and spicy aftertaste yields a powerful sweet wet finish.
The mouthfeel was about a light to medium on the body with a nice cherishing sweetness clinging to my tongue. Carbonation seems to finish nicely on my tongue as it's not too sharp but shows just enough and dissipates evenly to allow the spice to hit just right.
Overall, do you think I like this beer for me? With an emphatic yes, this is the best of the best of its style. Take me through winter, Vitus.

Poured a slightly hazy, light golden color. Medium head with not much lacing.
Smell was banana and bubblegum with maybe a bit of the apricot and clove that others have noted.
Taste was definitely apricot and banana with a little bit more clove as the beer warmed up. Very little lingering taste.
Overall, a solid beer that hides the alcohol well. For those that like beers with strong fruit flavors, you'll like this a lot. Weizenbocks (esp. Aventinus Tap 6) are sometimes recommended as aging candidates but I definitely don't think aging will change or improve this one. If you have it, drink it now.

Wow. A great beer. It doesn't taste the same as Belgian Trappist styles but there are some general qualities in common: Fruity, malty, sweet, tangy, banana and nutmeg flavors. Yet this is an accessible, easy to drink beer, very refreshing. And inexpensive! After having my first ever bottle of it I think it will likely be a staple of my fridge and I'll be trying out some other styles from this brewery.

500ml bottle into some kind of tall glass i got recently. so a pilsner or weizen glass according to this website. i think. best before "07/10/2015", enjoyed on december 2, 2014

a: golden yellow with a blizzard of bubbles streaming to the top. two fingers of white head that is fading away quite quickly. slightly opaque before the yeast is poured in, fully cloudy when it is

s: mmmm, so good. big banana note in the front, wheat, spicy yeast, bubblegum, good bread presence, and a pinch of lemon

t: all of the above flavours. very fruity all around (banana and light citrus fruits) with a really strong and tasty bready malt backbone. hints of bubblegum here and there. mild-to-moderate bitterness on the finish. there's also a touch of alcohol on the back end, but it's mostly masked under the malty tones

m: medium-bodied with lively, fizzy, but not too prickly carbonation

o: a really delicious wheat beer, full of huge fruit and malt flavours

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied, with a moderate level of carbonation. Incredibly smooth crisp and clean. There is a slight alcohol warming feel but it goes down very well and the feel adds balance to the overall profile of the beer.

O: An instant classic in my eyes and an absolutely world class example of a Weizenbock. Sadly somehow Weihenstephaner seems to be overlooked in the beer world, but they should not be, there brews are incredibly phenomenal and rate out as some of if not the best of their style. This is a truly special beer and should be sought out by everyone so they can taste and understand the roots of the worlds oldest brewery.

O - I was thinking I was going to get something different from the regular hefeweizen, but this beer just has a tad bit difference. It is stronger in taste but you'll feel the ABV in drinking. I'd describe it as a imperial hefeweizen. Try it once you've had the regular hefeweizen.

Damn good Weizen from Germany. Love Weihenstephan!
Tasted in an Original Vitus Glass, Comes so sweet and smooth, nice banana flave with Tropical fruits. Original Weizen Style, sweet and yeasty. To be honest, I can't really "taste" that huge amount of alcohol... Attention: ist a strong beer....and 2 or 3 VITUS be able to, launch you on a fat trip..... KRASS!

Bought this Weizenbock in a 500 ml glass bottle for 1.30 € plus 8 cents deposit. Poured it into a Weizenglass. This Weizenbock has an lovely, cloudy golden color and a very thick, white head that lasts almost forever. I smelled some dry bananas, cloves and some spices. This beer tasted so incredibly good. I never felt the 7.7% ABV, they're perfectly hidden. This Weihenstephaner is even better than "normal" Hefeweissbier version. The drinkability was just outstanding. I think I never drank a beer with that much ABV without feeling it! I think I just drank the best Weizenbock ever created by mankind! No doubt, Weihenstephaner Vitus is a true masterpiece!